Heating and cooling system

ABSTRACT

A heating and cooling system includes a compressor for pumping a heat medium through a tubing device, a primary heat exchanger coupled to the compressor, a control device coupled to the primary heat exchanger and coupled to a intermediate heat exchanger to control the intermediate heat exchanger either to dissipate heat or to absorb heat. Another control device is coupled to the intermediate heat exchanger and coupled to the compressor and a secondary heat exchanger, to control the heat medium from the intermediate heat exchanger either to flow through the secondary heat exchanger or to directly flow into the compressor without flowing through the secondary heat exchanger.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a heating and cooling system, and more particularly to a heating and cooling system having a changeable or control device for changing the flowing of the medium, to generate heat for winter times, and to generate cold air or the like for summer times.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical air conditioning facilities comprise a compressor for pumping air or heat medium through an air flowing manifold, and one or more heat exchangers and one or more valves also disposed or coupled in the air flowing manifold, for generating cooling air and for air conditioning purposes. However, normally, the typical air conditioning facilities may be used for generating cooling air only, and are thus suitable for being used in summer times only, but may not be used in winter times.

The typical heaters or other heating facilities are required to be energized by electric energy, and are provided for generating heat energy to warm the house buildings. However, the typical heaters or other heating facilities are suitable for being used in winter times only, but may not be used in summer times.

The other typical air conditioning facilities may comprise a heating and cooling system for generating either hot air or cold air for different uses. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,838 to Tressler comprises a typical refrigeration circuit for air conditioning purposes, and further comprises a hot water system for generating heated water.

However, the additional hot water system is further required to be provided and includes a pump and a solar panel or a water heater for heating the water, such that additional piping systems are required to be provided and assembled and coupled to the typical refrigeration circuit, and such that the assembling procedures for the typical heating and cooling systems may be complicated, and such that the manufacturing cost for the typical heating and cooling systems may be greatly increased.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional heating and cooling systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a heating and cooling system including a changeable or control device for changing the flowing of the medium, to generate heat for winter times, and to generate cold air or the like for air conditioning purposes during summer times.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a heating and cooling system comprising a compressor for pumping a heat medium through a tubing device, a first heat exchanger coupled to the compressor, for receiving compressed heat medium from the compressor, a first control device coupled to the first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger coupled to the first control device, and arranged to have the first control device coupled between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, the first control device being provided to control the second heat exchanger either to dissipate heat or to absorb heat, a second control device coupled to the second heat exchanger and coupled to the compressor, and a third heat exchanger coupled to the second control device. The second control device is provided to control the heat medium from the second heat exchanger either to flow through the third heat exchanger or to directly flow into the compressor without flowing through the third heat exchanger.

The first heat exchanger is provided for generating an output heat medium, such as hot water, hot air, or for heating the other objects or facilities. The third heat exchanger may be provided for generating an output cold medium, such as cold water, cold air, or for cooling the other objects or facilities.

The first control device includes a control valve and a throttle device coupled in parallel to each other, in order to control the second heat exchanger either to dissipate the heat or to absorb the heat. For example, the first control device may control the second heat exchanger to absorb the heat during the winter times, or may control the second heat exchanger to dissipate the heat during the summer times.

The second control device includes a control valve and a throttle device coupled in parallel to each other, in order to control the heat medium either to flow through the third heat exchanger or to directly flow into the compressor. For example, the second control device may control the heat medium to directly flow into the compressor and to prevent the heat medium from flowing through the third heat exchanger, and thus to prevent heat loss during the winter times. The second control device may also control the heat medium to flow through the third heat exchanger, to generate cold medium during the summer times.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a heating and cooling system in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the members for the control devices; and

FIGS. 3, 4 are block diagrams similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the operation of the heating and cooling system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a heating and cooling system 10 in accordance with the present invention may comprise a flowing or tubing device 11 having a heat medium flowing through the tubing device 11, and may also comprise a compressor 12 for pumping the heat medium through the tubing device 11.

The heating and cooling system 10 further includes a primary or a first heat exchanging device or a heat exchanger 13 coupled to the compressor 12, for receiving the compressed medium from the compressor 12. The first heat exchanger 13 may be used for outputting heat, or for generating an output heat medium 14, such as hot water, hot air, or the like.

A first control device 20 is coupled to the first heat exchanger 13, and then coupled to an intermediate or a second heat exchanger 30, and arranged to have the first control device 20 coupled between the first heat exchanger 13 and the second heat exchanger 30. The first control device 20 includes a control valve 21 and a throttle device 22 coupled in parallel to each other, in order to control or to actuate the second heat exchanger 30 to either dissipate the heat, or to absorb the heat, as shown in FIG. 1.

The second heat exchanger 30 is then coupled to another or a second control device 40, and then coupled to a secondary or a third heat exchanger 50 and the compressor 12. The third heat exchanger 50 may be used for outputting cold, or for generating an output cold medium 51, such as cold water, cold air, or the like.

The second control device 20 includes a control valve 41 and a guide tube 42 coupled in parallel to each other, in order to control or to actuate the heat medium either to flow through the third heat exchanger 50, or to directly flow into the compressor 12 when the control valve 41 is opened, for example.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 3, during the winter times, the control valve 21 of the first control device 20 is closed or is shut off, to control the heat medium to flow through the throttle device 22 of the first control device 20, and thus to cause the second heat exchanger 30 to absorb the heat from such as the warm inside of the house buildings, for example.

The control valve 41 of the second control device 40 is opened, to allow the heat medium to directly flow into the compressor 12, and to prevent the heat medium from flowing through the third heat exchanger 50, and thus to prevent heat loss via the third heat exchanger 50. In this condition, the first heat exchanger 13 may be used for outputting a relatively increased heat, or for generating a relatively hotter water or air, or the like.

On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 4, during the summer times, the control valve 21 of the first control device 20 is opened, to control the heat medium to directly flow through the control valve 21 of the first control device 20, and thus to cause the second heat exchanger 30 to dissipate the heat out to such as the outside of the house buildings, for example.

The control valve 41 of the second control device 40 is closed in this condition, to allow the heat medium to flow through the third heat exchanger 50 before flowing through the compressor 12. The third heat exchanger 50 may thus be used for outputting or for generating an output cold medium 51, such as cold water, cold air, or the like, and for such as air conditioning purposes.

It is to be noted that the typical air conditioning facilities or the typical heating and cooling systems failed to provide a first control device 20 to actuate the second heat exchanger 30 to either dissipate the heat, or to absorb the heat, and also failed to provide a second control device 40 to actuate the heat medium either to flow through the third heat exchanger 50, or to directly flow into the compressor 12, and thus to allow the third heat exchanger 50 to output or to generate an output cold medium 51.

Accordingly, the heating and cooling system in accordance with the present invention includes a changeable or control device for changing the flowing of the heat medium, to generate heat for warming the house building during the winter times, or to generate cold air or the like for air conditioning purposes during the summer times.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A heating and cooling system comprising: a compressor for pumping a heat medium through a tubing device, a first heat exchanger coupled to said compressor, for receiving compressed heat medium from said compressor, a first control device coupled to said first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger coupled to said first control device, and arranged to have said first control device coupled between said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger, said first control device being provided to control said second heat exchanger either to dissipate heat or to absorb heat, a second control device coupled to said second heat exchanger and coupled to said compressor, and a third heat exchanger coupled to said second control device, said second control device being provided to control the heat medium from said second heat exchanger either to flow through said third heat exchanger or to directly flow into said compressor without flowing through said third heat exchanger.
 2. The heating and cooling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first heat exchanger is provided for generating an output heat medium.
 3. The heating and cooling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said third heat exchanger is provided for generating an output cold medium.
 4. The heating and cooling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first control device includes a control valve and a throttle device coupled in parallel to each other, in order to control said second heat exchanger either to dissipate the heat or to absorb the heat.
 5. The heating and cooling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second control device includes a control valve and a throttle device coupled in parallel to each other, in order to control the heat medium either to flow through said third heat exchanger or to directly flow into said compressor. 